In late September, the basketball world held its breath as the UConn star center, Donovan Clingan suffered from an injury during a practice session. Although Clingan returned to help the Huskies in the 2023-24 NCAA tournament, the fans still don’t see the old him who used to dominate on the court. 

An injury can be a worst nightmare of athletes, as their entire career comes into question. But anticipation and optimism build in the fans as Clingan, a key player of the team, provided a crucial update on his injury in a recent interview. 

Donovan Clingan’s road to recovery

After Clingan suffered from an injury, the Huskies described it as a foot strain. In an interview with ESPN, they updated the fans that the star center will be sidelined for a month to recover, before making a comeback in the season opener against Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Clingan did make a comeback but fans could notice that his game was a bit off, which signaled that the road to full recovery was still underway.

The Huskies center recently sat down in a postgame interview with his teammate Tristen Newton. During the interview, Clighan was asked about his foot and where he is physically. In his response, the seven-footer said, “I feel my foot’s completely fine now, feels much better. My wind is definitely not to where it was before I got hurt.”

“But, it’s definitely, I’m almost there, this week should definitely give me back in next couple days, you know, just make sure I’m getting my cardio in everyday before the, you know, big game on friday cuz I’m definitely to need to see a lot of time, you know, might need to be out there a lot and up and down the floor, you know, they run. So, I feel like I’m back, I’ll be good,” he further added.

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While Clingan expressed confidence in his foot’s improved condition, the seven-footer acknowledges a slight lag in his endurance. However, he assures fans that he’s on the cusp of a full return, as he gets ready for upcoming challenges. Notably, the UCONN Huskies are having one of the best seasons ever. 

The Huskies soar

Having one of the best seasons so far, the Huskies have played seven matches out of which they have won all seven with an average score difference of 28.14 points per game. In their season opener, they played against the Lumberjacks, in which they secured their first match of the 2023-24 NCAA season with a final score of 95-52. During this game, Donovan Clingan only played for 15 minutes but still managed to score 12 points and grab 8 rebounds. 

They recently played against the New Hampshire Wildcats, and continuing their winning streak they won this match with a final score of 84-64. In this match, Clingan was the most outstanding player as he dropped 29 points and secured 7 rebounds.

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As the star center continues to recover fully, fans will be keeping their eye on him, to watch him play at his full potential.